Dental waste receptacle



arch 17, 1936. B. M. SMITH DENTAL WASTE RECEPTACLE Filed Sept. 2l, 1934 INVENTOR Blanchemmith,

Patented Mar. 17, 1936 1|' STATES 13 Claims.

This invention relates to a dental waste receptacle and is primarily intended for receiving the waste cotton which has been used by the dentist for swabbing and cleaning cavities in the tooth. The present practice has been to provide .a cardboard receptacle, with an incision or slit in its top, through which the dentist will insert his swabbing cotton on the end of his tweezers, or other implement with which he may be workio ing, so that upon withdrawal of the implement the cotton will be wiped therefrom by the sides of the slit or incision coming together. Thus the cotton is deposited in the receptacle and when the next patient is treated, a like operation of l5 depositing the swabbing or cleaning cotton in the receptacle is resorted to. Such practice is unsanitary for the reason that should a disease germ of a prior patient have lodged on the edge of the receptacle slit, it is quite probable that it will be carried by the implement, on the next deposit of swabbing cotton, to the mouth of the succeeding patient.

The object of the invention is to provide a Waste receptacle for dentists which will be sanitary in use and practical in operation, and it contemplates the provision of a waste receiver Ain which a fresh and new receiving slit or opening may be disposed in an accessible position for each patient.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a dental waste receptacle embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section therethrough;

Fig. 3 is a view of the paper closure member;

Fig. 4 is a similar view of the disk supporting plate; and

Figs. 5 and 6 are fragmentary sectional views of the closure holding detent.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the numeral I designates the body of the receptacle or receiver, having a cover 2 secured thereto in a readily detachable manner, as by the bayonet and slot connection 3. The cover is provided with a window 4, which may be off center when the receptacle is circular in cross section, as herein illustrated. Across the window is moved a paper closure member 5, having a series of entrance ways conveniently in the form of X-shaped incisions or slits 6. These entrance ways are successively presented to the window for use by the dentist, and by reason of the X- shaped incision self-closing radial tongues are provided which are pliable to readily permit the introduction of the tweezer-supported swabbing cotton therethrough in 'a downward or inward (Cl. 20G-63.5)

direction. Releasing his pressure upon the tweezers, the dentist may then withdraw the same so that these flexible tongues will wipe off the swabbing cotton and cause the latter to drop into the bottom of the receiver. Y

Means are provided for successively presenting these entrance slits to the window. In the villustrated embodiment a handle I is employed to move a predetermined distance, sufficient to bring a new slit opposite the window. When the closure member has been completely used, the dentist may be apprised of this fact by the handle 1 engaging a stop 8, disposed in its path of movement,`such arrested position of the handle being depicted in Fig. 1 by the broken lines l.

Since the paper closure is intended to be replaced from time to time, such closure will be made from light stock, and therefore, to give proper support to the closure when in use, a rigid plate 9 may underlie the same. The plate is provided with an opening I for registry with the Window 4, when an entrance slit is properly presented thereto. The supporting plate may be movable with the paper closure and therefore it will be provided with a plurality of openings, each associated with a respective one of the entrance slits.

When the receptacle is round, it is preferred to have the paper closure 5 in the form of 'a circular disk and in order to rotate it, the Asame is,

mounted within the receptacle on a shaft II. This shaft is preferably journaled in the cover 2 and has the handle xedly secured thereto, so that as the handle is moved about the axis of the shaft, the shaft is likewise moved and, 7

through a key connection with the paper disk, the latter is also rotated. The key connection is preferably of such a nature as to insure each new disk being mounted on the shaft ina definite and proper relationship to the xed'handle 1, so that as the handle is moved through its successive steps, the X-shape slits will be properly and fully presented to the Window. This key connection may be provided by simply forming a flat on one side of the shaft, as indicated at I2, and the paper disk is provided with a central opening I3, conforming to the irregular cross section of the shaft. By this arrangement an index is provided to insure the disk being readily placed on the shaft in its proper position without any great diculty. The supporting plate 9 is likewise provided with an irregular central opening I 4, so that it may be properly related to the disk 5. The supporting vplate" and its supported disk are thus interlocked to the shaft and to each other and may be detachably secured to the shaft by a wing nut I5. A spring I6 may be interposed between the wing nut I5 and plate 9 to effect proper cushioned engagement therewith and also hold the paper disc interlocked with its rotating means.

To prevent the handle I from being moved in the wrong direction, and consequently a slit once used be again presented at the window, the plate 9 is provided with a series of seats or notches I1, to be engaged successively by the spring detent or latch I8, the latter being secured to some fixed part of the receptacle. The spring tongue of the latch yieldingly rides over the plate from notch to notch as the plate is rotated clockwise (Fig. l) to present a new slit, but in the event that the handle 7 is attempted to be turned in the wrong direction the detent will resist such movement. The disk 5 and plate 9 may further be interlocked together at one or more points remote from the shaft II, so as'to more securely join them for movement in unison, this additional interlocking being established herein by striking up one or more spurs I9, from the plate 8, so that when the latter ispressedagainst'the paper closure, the spur will imbed itself in the paper in a manner somewhat exaggerated in the showing of Fig. 6. Any upward distortion of thekpaper from its upper face, as indicated at 20, may be taken advantage of to reduce the frictional contact of the disk on the under surface of the cover 2, and further to space the entranceways from the plane of the window so that 'the window edge will not contact with a used entranceway when the closure is rotated.

The receptacle maybe mounted on or attached to the dentists tray or table .2| in .a convenient manner, such as by means of the bracket 22, .and the receptacle maybe either permanently or'detachably secured to the bracket. To this end the body I is'provided with a strap 23 on its-exterior surface for being readily slipped Vdown-over the upstanding leg 24 of the bracket. For convenience in manufacture, the leg may be extended upward into the path of the arm v'I .to serve as the stop 8. Furthermore, a second supporting plate (not shown) similar to plate 9 maybe provided andthe paper closure disk clamped between the two plates, if desired. Such tan arrangement will serve to support Athe entranceways 6 away from the edge of the windowto a greater extent than the raisedportions 28.

lnpractice, the dentist will simply swing the handle 'I a sufficient extent to present a new entranceway as conditions require, the vextent of `such handle movement being indicated by the latch I8 dropping into the next notch Il. The waste receiver tends toward greater sani- .tation .and is simple in design The receiver body I may be made of any suitablematerial such as paper, metal, glass, or the like. Since it is customary in'dental oflices to sterilize -all instruments, receptacles and other apparatus with-which the patient comes in contact, in order to maintain strict sanitation, the present Waste receiver may be adapted for easy vsterilization by providing the receptacle body with aremovable liner. Such liner may be in the'form of a cup, as indicated by the dotted line-showing 25 in Fig. 2. The .liner cup may also-support the spring detent I8 since such `de tent'maypossibly come in contact with the contents of the receptacle or its liner, and because of 4 this yfact the detent, by being supported on the liner, may readily be sterilized along with the liner and other removable parts as occasion may require. To this end the liner will be held against rotation in the receptacle, as by interlocking the two nested parts together. Such an arrangement will maintain the receptacle body I clean while at the same time permit the other parts, which are likely to contact with the waste matter, to be sterilized daily or as often as the dentist may require. The liner y,may be of some light stock, such as aluminum, paper, glass, rubber or the like, the term paper being used generically in the following claims. The incisions 6 in the paper closure member 5 may Vbe of any desired shape and length as efficiency may need.

While the foregoing description has been given in great detail, it is not desired to so restrict the invention, since changes in design, construction and arrangement may be resorted to, except as confined bythe scope ofthe appended claims, in developing "the present invention into .fa 4more practical working embodiment without =depar turefrom the spirit of the present `invention and without losing sight of the inventive :.conceptset forth in the present illustrated embodiment. The Vwaste receiver, while especially designedfor the dental profession, is equally useful .by the medical and other professions requiring utmost sanitation.

What is claimed is:

1. A dental waste receptacle having a receiver body and a removable cover, the latter provided with a relatively small window, a paper closure for the window, feed means including a Vspurffor engagement with the paper closure for -movement across the window, said closure being substantially coextensive with the cover and 'having a series of entrance openings for successive and individual presentation `to the window, and means for actuating thefeed means.

2. A dental waste receptacle having-a Aremovable wall with a window, a closure for the window movable thereacross and provided Witha series of waste receiving entrancewaysfeach `entranceway being substantially coextensive with thewindow whereby only one entranceway at atime may be presented to the window, and means-carried by the removable wall for selectively presenting such entranceways to the window.

3. A dental waste receptacle having a part provided with a window, a closure movable across the window and having successive portions through which waste matter may be .deposited into the receptacle as such portions are successively presented to the window, and means journaled in said part and interlockable with the clutch for successively presenting Vsuch portions to the window.

4. VA dental waste receptacle having a window, a closure movable across the windowto v,present different portions thereto for the deposit of kwaste matter therethrough into the receptacle, Yanda plate supporting the closureabout the window, said plate being interlocked Ywith said closure for movement therewith-as theportionsof said closureare successively presented to thewindow.

5. A dental waste receptacle havinga removable cover provided with a window,..a shaft journaled in the cover, a paper closure .member for the window secured on the shaft and having successive portions for selective `presentation'to the window, such vportions affording access through the window to the interior ofthe receptacle for the deposit of Waste, material thereinto, and means for rotating the shaft.

6. A dental waste receptacle having a removable cover provided With a window off center with respect to the axis of the receptacle, a shaft journaled in the cover substantially axially of the receptacle, a paper closure disk for the window secured on the shaft and having successive entranceways for successive presentation to the window, such entranceways affording access through the window to the receptacle for the deposit of Waste material thereinto, means for rotating the shaft, and means for preventing retrograde movement of the closure disk across the Window.

7. A dental Waste receptacle having a removable cover provided With a Window, a shaft journaled in the cover, a closure member secured on the shaft and having successive entranceways for selective presentation to the Window, such entranceways affording access to the receptacle through the window for the deposit of waste material thereinto, means for properly relating the closure member to the handle to insure full presentation of such entranceways to the Window, and means for rotating the shaft.

8. A dental waste receptacle having a removable cover provided With a Window, a shaft journaled in the cover and provided with a fiat side face, a closure member for the window having successive portions for individual presentation to the Window, said closure member having an opening with a flat side for ccnformably receiving the shaft with its flat face whereby to properly relate the closure member to the shaft to insure correct presentation of such successive portions to the window, such portions affording access through the Window to the interior of the receptacle for the deposit of Waste material thereinto, and means for rotating the shaft to effect such individual presentation of said portions to the window.

9. A dental waste receptacle having a cover provided with a window, a shaft journalled in the cover at one side of the Window, a closure disk for the window secured on the shaft and having successive portions for individual presentation to the Window through which Waste material may be deposited in the receptacle, means for rotating the shaft, and means for providing a step by step movement when operated by said rotating means.

10. A dental Waste receptacle having a removable cover provided With a Window, a shaft journaled in the cover, a closure disk for the Window having an opening receiving the shaft and provided With successive portions for individual presentation to the Window, spur means carried by the shaft and interlockable with the closure member for providing a driving connection 'between the shaft and the closure member, means for rotating the shaft, and means for presenting the spur means into interlocking engagement with the closure member.

11. A dental waste receptacle having a removable cover provided With a window, a shaft journalled in the cover, a closure disk for the Window having an opening receiving the shaft and provided with successive portions for individual presentation to the Window, spur means carried by the shaft and interlockable with the closure member for providing a driving connection between the shaft and the closure member, resilient means for urging the spur means into interlocking engagement with the closure member, and means for rotating the shaft.

12. A closure disk for a dental waste receptacle having a Window at Which successive portions of the disk are individually presented, said disk having a circular opening provided With a at side, for interlocking reception of an actuating shaft in the receptacle.

13. A closure disk for a dental Waste receptacle having a Window lat which successive portions of the disc are individually presented, said disk having a central opening and a circular series of entranceways thereabout designed for individual presentation to the window.

BLANCHE M. SM'ITI-I. 

